I-TECH Assists School Renovation

What a difference a chair makes . . . and a mattress, a desk, and the dedication of many people!

When I-TECH staff first spoke with local collaborators at the Nzega Nurse Training Centre, in Tanzania, they found that the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW) had sufficient funds to renovate the school—but not to replace the badly worn furnishings and supplies. I-TECH agreed to help.

As MOHSW continued to finish up an ambitious renovation of the Nzega buildings, I-TECH Tanzania teams set to work: determining needs, procurement, pricing, and a host of other details. As a result, the school began enrollment on time and can now open its arms to new students—with complete new facilities to help them learn.

An Atmosphere of Elation

Dila Perera, Tanzania Human Resources for Health Project Manager, has just returned from Nzega, and describes an atmosphere of elation: “ [I-TECH Tanzania] helped to deliver and arrange furnishings for the offices, classroom, dormitories, and kitchen. It was a very rewarding activity and definitely a group effort. The principal, the former principal, and tutors helped with everything from carrying mattresses to assembling furniture. There was lots of laughter, some tears of happiness, and an abundance of  good will . . .”

The project is part of I-TECH Tanzania’s Human Resources for Health (HRH) Scale-Up Programme, which is working to support the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in its efforts to address the country’s human resource shortage. Among other goals, that means preparing more health care workers, especially Enrolled Nurses (EN), Clinical Assistants, and Clinical Officers. It is exciting work that is in keeping with the PEPFAR II goals of increasing the number of new health care workers and ensuring that care and treatment clinics are adequately staffed.

After 12 Years, a New Class

In the past, Nzega was a training institution for Maternal and Child (MCH) aides. In 1997, however, a shortage of funds at the MOHSW level forced it to shut its doors. Now, with the new renovations, the school is being re-opened after 12 years to prepare a class of 24 EN students.

Furnishing and equipping the school, an unusual but successful project for I-TECH, succeeded through the dedication of many people, including local partners and staff from I-TECH Tanzania and Seattle headquarters. Ultimately, the work is a great example of the wide variety of activities that support improved and sustainable health care. In the long-term, ensuring that the expansion of Nzega continues as planned will allow for an additional 176 students, and potentially an additional cadre to support health care services.